


I'm Going to Get My Book

by WildnessBecomesYou



Category: Ratched (TV)
Genre: A little bit of angst, F/F, Fluff, Nightmares, and power bottom mildred, character death but only in dream sequence, there's cuddling after, they're okay i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26681866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildnessBecomesYou/pseuds/WildnessBecomesYou
Summary: What if, after that phone call, Gwendolyn had the same nightmare?
Relationships: Gwendolyn Briggs/Mildred Ratched
Comments: 18
Kudos: 113





	I'm Going to Get My Book

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly what it says on the tin. I had the thought when I woke up absurdly early that both our girls have been rather traumatized over the past few years, so they're both bound to have some nightmares. 
> 
> I promise they're okay!! Cuddles after!

It’s been too long. Even sitting here, just out of the sun, calming waves in the background and the surprisingly charming Betsy Bucket for company, Gwendolyn knows it’s been too long. 

“Betsy?” Gwendolyn interrupts her latest chatter about— well, she doesn’t actually know, but the woman stops and fixes her with a surprised but open expression. “I’m going to go check on Mildred, alright?”

“It has been a while,” Betsy agrees. “Want company?”

“She’s a little shaken, I think, might be best for me to go alone.” Gwendolyn smiles as best she can at Betsy. The nurse nods, leaning her head back against the lounging chair. Gwendolyn stands to go, brushing the fronts of her thighs to smooth the fabric there.

“Gwendolyn?” She looks up at the sound of Betsy’s voice. “I think you’ve… the two of you, you’re—“ she huffs and opens one of her closed eyes, fixing Gwendolyn with a look. “I’m very glad to see you both happy.”

Gwendolyn smiles. “Thank you, Betsy.”

It isn't a long walk back to their little apartment, really. But it feels like it's taking forever. Her feet quicken, strides growing longer— not quite running, she doesn't want to give into that panic, but something feels…wrong. 

She rounds the final corner to their little place and her gut sinks. As quiet as the courtyard is, she can't hear any moving around in their rooms. Only one door is ajar, and she can feel a breeze coming through the whole room. 

They hadn’t left the back doors open when they went to the pool. 

“Mildred?” she calls in a shaky voice. If her younger companion were trying to calm herself down, it wouldn’t do any good to startle her. “Mildred, have you found that book?”

She pushes at the closed door, but it doesn’t budge. “Darling, I’m coming in.” She takes a steadying breath and steps in.

She steps in something wet and looks down and— 

“Oh, God, no—“ 

Her hands shake violently, and she falls to the ground beside Mildred. Her knees splash in the puddle of blood beneath her. “Mildred? Mildred, my darling, can you hear me?” 

She can barely hear herself, her blood is pounding in her ears, and when she shakes Mildred the younger woman doesn’t move. And she’s cold. 

“Mildred, please, wake up, we have to mo—“ her voice breaks off and her vision swims. “Mil—“ 

Mildred isn’t responding. She won’t, her voice has been cut short, and Gwendolyn knows that, but it doesn’t make sense and it’s not fair and oh, God, it _hurts_ — 

“Gwendolyn? Gwendolyn! Sweetheart, wake up!”

Gwendolyn’s eyes shot open and she found Mildred’s eyes staring back at her, her eyebrows tilted up in the center in concern. 

She let out a sob. 

“Gwendolyn!” Mildred’s hands tightened against her arms as she hovered above, looking like some sort of angel. Gwendolyn reached up to brush her hair back from her face and tried to swallow her tears back down. “Goodness, Gwendolyn, what—“ 

Mildred let out a small “oof” sound as Gwendolyn pulled her down to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around the younger woman. Maybe if she wasn’t looking at her face, she’d stop crying. 

But Mildred was stubborn, part of what Gwendolyn loved about her so much. She propped herself up on her elbows over Gwendolyn. “What happened?” she asked softly. Gwendolyn shook her head, but Mildred insisted. “I woke up and you were— I mean really you were wailing. What happened?”

Gwendolyn took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then thought better of that. It was still too fresh. Mildred’s eyes were fixed on her, and she reached up to brush her fingers over Mildred’s lips. It earned her a few fingertip kisses, at least, but Mildred’s eyes narrowed. “I had a— a nightmare, you were— he—“ Her throat closed up again and she shook her head. “Let me hold you, please.”

Her voice cracked with the plea, but Mildred gave in, letting her bodyweight rest fully on Gwendolyn. “It’s alright,” the brunette murmured in Gwendolyn’s ear. “I’m here.” 

Gwendolyn’s arms tightened around Mildred. “You weren’t.” Her voice sounded so small. “You were gone.” 

"I'm here." 

"It was so real," Gwendolyn half-whined, swallowing again. 

"It's not real anymore," Mildred answered. They shared a quiet moment. Gwendolyn's breathing was starting to even out. 

Mildred turned her face to press a kiss to Gwendolyn’s jaw. “He won’t take me from you, I promise.” Her hands slid down Gwendolyn’s arms to the elbow, then back up to the shoulder. She slid her hands beneath Gwendolyn’s shoulder blades and propped herself up slightly. “Even if he drove all night, he wouldn’t be here yet. We could pack our bags, get on a ferry, drive into Mexico City for a few days.” 

Gwendolyn shook her head slightly. “The— my treatment?”

“Then we’ll stay right here,” Mildred said, “and I’ll make sure we’re safe. And neither of us will go anywhere.” Her voice had lowered over the course of her statements, and it rumbled through Gwendolyn. 

“I don’t want to lose you,” Gwendolyn breathed. 

“You won’t,” Mildred murmured in that same low tone, pressed a kiss to her forehead, cheek. “I’ll take care of it.”

Gwendolyn sighed and turned her head, nuzzled into Mildred, asking for a kiss. She was granted it— smooth, slow, gentle and warming. She clung to it, trying to will the nightmare away. 

“I’ll take care of it,” Mildred breathed against her lips.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided, for no good reason, that they were in La Paz, Mexico. So they probably could ferry over, and Chicago is about 45 hours away. There's a possibility that they'd cross paths with Edmund and his crew on the ferry, but it's not super likely. And they could add a few hours by driving around Texas and New Mexico and into California, then down the peninsula. 
> 
> Anyways! I hope you enjoyed! Our poor babies :( 
> 
> What did y'all think? Want more? Need a good scream? Let it out in the comments! :)


End file.
